Terminal connecting blocks are used extensively in the communications industry. For example, they are used in the telephone industry on distribution panels to interconnect conductors in a central office cable to conductors from the various station equipment located within a building. One type of connecting block is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,498 issued to A. Logan on Feb. 8, 1966. This connector block consists of a plurality of split blade-like metallic terminals arranged side-by-side in rows forming a rectangular array of terminals mounted in an electrical insulating block. The terminals are of the insulation-penetrating clip-type which penetrates the insulation and tightly clamps the conductor when a wire is inserted therein. The terminals are blade-like and are arranged side-by-side in rows so that the faces of the terminals lie in a horizontal plane. Devices for connecting between terminals horizontally separated (on the same row) can be provided by a mere inverted U-shaped bridging clip. Such a U-shaped bridging clip could be made to connect between terminals that have different horizontal spacing. A device for connecting between vertically separated terminals (same column but in adjacent rows) presents a more difficult problem, because of the shape of the terminals, requiring a more sophisticated bridging clip. Since the connecting block design as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,498 is available with rows of terminals spaced vertically on 0.20 or 0.25 inch centers it would be desirable to have a bridging clip which could accommodate both types of connector blocks. The close horizontal proximity of the terminals in the connecting block requires that a bridging clip be insulated to prevent shorting between horizontally adjacent terminals. In addition, occasionally it is required to add an electrical component across the terminals of a connector block to protect the connected telephone equipment or to compensate for unusual line characteristics. The varying diameters of component lead size and the lead connecting limitations of the terminal design of the connecting block of U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,498 sometimes requires rewiring to accommodate the addition of a component across the terminals.
The prior art includes clips with a capability for connecting between terminals of a fixed spacing. Other existing connector art discloses methods of mounting electrical components into a pin which can be inserted into a pin board assembly. Thus a need exists to provide a bridging assembly which can connect across terminals of varying separation and which contains, internally, an electrical component connected across its contacts.
Accordingly, it is an object of our invention to provide a bridging assembly which can be used with connecting blocks having various vertical terminal separations.
It is another object of our invention to provide a bridging assembly which can contain electrical components mounted between the contacts and internal to the bridging assembly.
It is another object of our invention to provide an insulated bridging assembly which has a physical size which enables the placement of the bridging assembly side-by-side on adjacent terminals of the connecting block.
It is another object of our invention to provide for a visual monitor capability in the bridging assembly.
It is another object of our invention to make a bridging assembly which connects to the terminals of the connecting block applying a minimal amount of lateral force on the terminals.
It is another object of our invention to make a bridging assembly which makes good electrical and a firm mechanical connection to wired or unwired terminals of the connecting block.
It is a further object of our invention to develop an economical bridging assembly.